extraordinary effects under the protection of a power, which was formidable and terrible to all nations to whom it was known.

About the beginning of this year Dr. Bryan Walton, afterwards bishop of Chester, published the Biblia Polyglotta, in six volumes in folio, wherein the sacred text is printed in the vulgar Latin, Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, Chaldee, Samaritan, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Persic languages, cach having its peculiar Latin translation, with an apparatus for the better understanding those tongues. This laborious performance, by the assistance of several who engaged in it, was completed in about four years, and was reckoned the most absolute edition of the bible that the world had ever seen. Several learned persons, both puritans and others, assisted in correcting the press, and in collating the copies. Many noblemen, and gentlemen of quality, contributed to the expence of printing this work, without which it could not have seen the light. After the restoration, the doctor presented King Charles II. with the six volumes, which his majesty received very graciously, and rewarded the author with the bishopric of Chester.

The learned Dr. Owen made some remarks on the prolegomena of this work; but after an high commendation of the performance in general, complains that he had weakened the certainty of the sacred text, (1.) By maintaining that the points or vowels of the Hebrew language were of novel invention. (2.) By producing a great number of various readings from ancient copies of little moment. (3.) By his own critical remarks and amendments not supported by ancient authorities. The doctor maintains, on the other hand, the antiquity of the Hebrew points, and their absolute necessity to fix the determinate sense of scripture; that the various readings are of little consequence, and that conjectural amendments ought not to be admitted without the authority of ancient copies. The doctor writes with great modesty, but the validity of his arguments must be submitted to the learned reader.

On the third of July the protector resigned his chancellor

"This," Mr. Granger says, " was the first book published in England by subscription. The design of this great work was formed in Dr. Walton died 1661," Hist. of Eng. vol. iii. p. 29, 8vo. Ed.

1645.

ship of Oxford, and upon the eighteenth day of the same mouth his eldest son RICHARD was chosen his successor, and installed* at Whitehall on the twenty-ninth. About six weeks after, the new chancellor dismissed Dr. Owen, who had been vice-chancellor of the university about five years, and appointed Dr. John Conant, rector of Exeter college, to succeed him. This gentleman, says the Oxford historian,† was a good Latinist and Grecian, a profound theologist, a learned, pious, and meek divine, and an excellent preacher. He had been one of the assembly of divines, and was elected rector of this college, upon the death of Dr. Hakewell, in June 1649. In the latter end of the year 1654, he became king's professor of divinity in the room of Dr. Hoyle. He continued in the vice-chancellorship two years with due commendation, keeping a severe discipline in his college, as did all the heads of colleges in these times. He was ejected out of every thing in 1662 for non-conformity; but some time after, being persuaded to comply with the establishment, he became vicar of All-Saints in Northampton, archdeacon of Norwich, and prebendary of Worcester; which places he held till bis death, which did not happen till 1693.

Nov. 24, his highness signed a commission, appointing his younger son Henry to be lord lieutenant of Ireland, with a power of conferring the honor of knighthood. Henry was a wise and discreet governor, and by his prudent behavior kept the Irish in awe, and brought the nation into a flourishing condition. Upon the accession of Richard to the protectorship, he advised him to abide by the parliament, and have a watchful eye over the army, whom he suspected to be designing mischief (as appears by his letters now before me.) Nay, he offered to come over to his assistance, but was forbid till it was too late. When Richard was deposed, his brother Henry laid down his charge, and came over to England, and lived privately upon an estate of his own, of about 6001. a year, at Spinny-Abby in Cambridgeshire, not far from Newmarket, till his death. While he was in Ireland he behaved with such a generous impartiality as gained him the esteem even of the royalists * The ceremonial of the instalment may be seen in Dr. Grey, vol. iii. p. 200, note. Ed. † Athen. Oxon. vol. ii. p. 785.

themselves; and after his retirement King Charles II. did him once the honor of a visit; he had a son Henry, who was bred to arms, and had a major's commission, and died in the service of the crown about the year 1711, and left behind him several children; some of the sons are yet living in good reputation in the city of London, and are the only male descendants of the protector Cromwell, the posterity of Richard being extinct.

The ROYAL SOCIETY, which has been the ornament of the English nation, by the vast improvements it has made in natural and experimental philosophy, was formed at Oxford in these times, which some have represented as covered with ignorance, barbarism, and pedantry: The words of bishop Sprat,§ their historian, are these: "It was some space after the end of the civil wars at Oxford, in Dr. Wilkins's lodgings, in Wadham college, which was then the place of resort for virtuous and learned men, that the first meetings were made which laid the foundation of all that followed. The university had, at that time, many members of its own, who had begun a free way of reasoning, and was also frequented by some gentlemen of philosophical minds, whom the misfortune of the kingdom, and the security and ease of a retirement among gownsmen, had drawn thither. The principal and most constant of them were, Dr. Seth Ward, Mr. Boyle, Dr. Wilkins, Sir William Petty, Mr. Matthew Wren, Dr. Wallis, Dr. Goddard, Dr. Willis, Dr. Bathurst, Dr. Christopher Wren, and Mr. Rook, besides several others who joined them on occasions. Their meetings were as frequent as their occasions would permit; their proceedings were upon some particular trials in chymistry or mechanics, which they communicated to each other. They continued without any great interruption till the death of the protector, when their meetings were transferred to London." Here they began to enlarge their design, and formed the platform of a philosophical college, to enquire into the works of nature : They set up a correspondence with learned foreigners, and admitted such into their numbers without distinction of names or parties in religion; and were at length incorporated by royal patent or charter, in the year 1663.

SP. 53, 57.

This year [1657] died Mr. John Langley, the noted master of St. Paul's school, London; he was born near Banbury in Oxfordshire, and became a commoner or brother of Magdalen-hall about 1612; was also prebendary of Glocester, where he kept the college school for twenty years. In the year 1640 he succeeded Dr. Gill, chief master of St. Paul's school, where he educated many who were afterwards eminent in church and state. He was an universal scholar,an excellent linguist, grammarian, historian cosmographer, a most judicious divine, and so great an antiquarian, (says the Oxford historian) that his delight and acquaintance in antiquity deserves greater commendation than can be given in a few lines. He was esteemed by learned men, and particularly by Mr. Selden; but was not regarded by the clergy, because he was a puritan, and a witness against archbishop Laud at his trial. He was a

member of the assembly of divines, and died at his house next adjoining to St. Paul's school Sept. 13, 1657. Dr. Reynolds preached his funeral sermon, and gave him a very high encomium.*

Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick was born at Marlborough in the year 1600, and educated in Magdalen college, Oxford, where he took the degrees in arts, and was afterwards chaplain to Sir Horatio Vere, with whom he travelled into the Low Countries. After his return he became reader of the sentences 1629, and was afterwards chosen preacher to the inhabitants of St. Mildred, Bread-street London; but being driven from thence by the severity of the governors of the church, he retired to Coggeshall in Essex, where he continued till the breaking out of the civil wars. In 1643 he was chosen a member of the assembly of divines. In 1646 he became preacher at St. Paul's Covent

|| Wood's Athen. Oxon. vol. ii. p. 135.

* Dr. Fuller calls him "the able and religious school-master." He had a very awful presence and speech, that struck a mighty respect and fear in his scholars; yet his behavior towards them was such, that they both loved and feared him. When he was buried.all the scholars attended his funeral, walking before the corpse, hung with verses instead of escutcheons, with white gloves as he died a single man, from the school through Cheapside to Mercer's chapel; where he was buried. He was so much in favor with the worshipful company of Mercers, that they accepted his recommendation of his successor. Knight's Life of Dr. John Colet, p. 879, &c. Ed.

er.*

garden: He often preached before the parliament, and was esteemed an orthodox, as well as an admired preachIn the year 1653 he was appointed one of the triers, and the year after, one of the commissioners for ejecting scandalous ministers; but finding his health declining he resigned his preferments, and retired to his native town of Marlborough, where he died the beginning of January1657.† Mr. Edward Corbet was born in Shropshire, and educated in Merton college, Oxford, where he took the degrees in arts, and was made probationer fellow of his college. In 1638 he was one of the proctors of the university; but being a puritan divine, was denied the rectory of Chatham by archbishop Laud, then in the Tower; upon which an ordinance of parliament came out May 17, 1643, appointing him rector of Chatham. He was a member of the assembly of divines, a witness against the archbishop at his trial; one of the preachers appointed to reconcile the Oxford scholars to the parliament; and afterwards one of the visitors, orator, and canon of Christ-church, in the room of Dr. Hammond, which he soon after quitted, and became rector of Great-Hasely in Oxfordshire, where he continued to his death. He was a very considerable divine, a valuable preacher, and a person of remarkable integrity and steadiness of conscience.

Mr. James Cranford was born in Coventry, and sometime master of the free-school there: He was educated in Baliol college, Oxford, where he took the degrees in arts, and was at length rector of St. Christopher's le Stocks, near the Old Exchange, London. He was an exact linguist, well acquainted with the fathers and schoolmen, as well as with the modern divines; a zealous presbyterian, and a laborious preacher. Mr. Fuller adds, that he was a subtle disputant, orthodox in judgment, and a person of great humility, charity, and moderation towards all men. In the beginning of the civil wars, he was appointed licenser of the press in London, which gave him an occasion to write several epistles before books, besides some treatises * Dr. Grey quotes passages from some of Mr. Sedgwick's sermons to shew, that he was a preacher of treason, rebellion, and nonsense. + Wood's Athen. Oxon. vol. ii. p, 138. Ibid. 749. Ed. Fuller's Worthies, book iii. p. 128.

§ Ibid.

p. 133.